Ill Met by Moonshine
by Reefgirl
Summary: Elizabeth gets news from home and needs a drink to get over it but Atlantis is dry. Weir Zelenka Like you were expecting anything different


Title: Ill Met by Moonshine

Rating: T

Spoilers: None

Pairings: Weir/Zelenka

Summary: After some news from home Elizabeth wants a drink but Atlantis is dry.

Disclaimer: I own none of the Stargate Characters, I make no money from it, it's all a bit a fun.

Authors Notes: This is a response to a challenge on the Weir/Zelenka at GW. Have fun ladies

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Elizabeth settled herself onto her sofa with a glass of wine to sort though her mail. She'd only been back on Atlantis for a few hours after helping a race called the Felini negotiate with a race called Nembari, both parties had contacted the Athosians to help them find a neutral arbitrator, Teyla had asked Elizabeth if she would be willing and she jumped at the chance. It had taken a week to wrap up negotiations to everyone's satisfaction, in the end both races had asked if she would mind doing it again for them and Elizabeth was honoured. Now, after a long tenuous week she was going to relax and read her mail. She opened the first letter and read 'Mr and Mrs Robert Silverstone invite you to the wedding of their daughter Miranda to Simon Wallace on 24th September at St Joseph's Church, Ann's Hill, Boston, Mass. Please RSVP' it read.

"I don't believe it, I don't fucking believe it, bastard son of a bitch" she yelled as she screwed up the letter and threw it in the corner "How dare he" she drained her glass of wine and went to pour another and a few drops dribbled out of the bottle. She slammed the bottle on the table, she'd known all about Miranda and had even met her on one occasion but Simon was rubbing her nose in it by inviting her to the wedding. Elizabeth wanted a drink, she wanted to drown the memories of the tentative wedding plans she and Simon had made. Feeling sorry for her self and wanting to drown her sorrows she went looking for Dr Zelenka, if anyone had alcohol it was the city's bootlegger, she left her room and headed for the lab.

Dr Radek Zelenka was running a computer simulation when Elizabeth stormed into his lab

"Do you have anything to drink?" she demanded, Radek looked confused

"I have coffee," he said. Elizabeth sighed

"No I mean alcohol, I want some of that bootleg rotgut of yours," she said

"I don't have any," he said, not looking at her.

"What the hell do you mean you don't have any, you've been supplying alcohol to us for the last two years" she retorted, Radek shrugged again

"We had to start again, come back next week" he replied, still with his back to her. Elizabeth folded her arms across her chest in an effort not to shake Zelenka

"I can't wait until next week," she said through gritted teeth. Radek shrugged again

"Sorry I can't help you try the Marines they may have something left," he said. Elizabeth stormed from the room growling; as she marched down the corridor she started muttering obscenities to herself

"Note to self, confiscate Zelenka's still "We had to start again, come back next week" I'm sure he's not the only one that can run a still, I'll dismantle it and give it to someone who can keep it going, all I want is a fucking drink" she said petulantly. Elizabeth paid a visit to some of the Marines, she found them watching a DVD of a football game with cans of soda in their hands, all the beer had gone and they were waiting for Dr Zelenka to make more whiskey. She went to see Alex Ramsey the chef to see if she had anything, no, she'd used all the wine she had making Coq au Vin yesterday and she wouldn't have anymore until the Daedalus arrived. Elizabeth sighed and stalked from the kitchen, all she wanted to do was drink to forget Simon's wedding and the fact she was alone and had been for the last two years, she had been telling herself that love was a luxury she couldn't afford, being the leader of Atlantis. She stopped short; she'd been using that excuse to cover up the fact that she was single for far too long. Where was it written that the leader of Atlantis had to stay single? It's not like there was a shortage of men in the city, some of them she'd gotten quite close to. There was John, who couldn't keep his zip closed on an alien planet, Rodney, if he'd only stop talking about how brilliant he was occasionally. There was also Major Lorne who'd taken on the unofficial role of her bodyguard, but he had a thing for Alex the chef, she liked Alex and she thought Lorne was an ideal match for her in fact she'd encouraged Alex to go for it with Lorne. Then there was Radek, he was her friend and confident, she always turned to him when she needed comfort and a shoulder to cry on, no he'd never want to date his boss, in fact none of the men on Atlantis would either. There was always Halling but she doubted that would ever happen.

Elizabeth slunk back into her room, Atlantis was dry, there wasn't a drop of alcohol in the city it was as if someone had declared prohibition in her absence, she undressed and slipped between the sheets, she was just going to have to be content with crying herself to sleep instead of drinking herself into a stupor.

The next morning Elizabeth was sulking in her office, she had snapped at Rodney and Zelenka when they came to her with results of a couple of experiments and she'd told John to grow up when he'd come to her with a complaint about Kavanaugh. The women of Atlantis had made tentative gestures to find out what had upset their leader. Alex had sent her a plate of Double Chocolate Chip Cookies and a note that said he wasn't worth it, Elizabeth had often wondered if the head chef had a sixth sense, Teyla had offered her a bout of Stick Fighting to relieve her aggression. Elizabeth had been touched by the way her friends had rallied around but she couldn't shake her foul mood, the women seemed to understand and had left her alone to work it out for herself.

Elizabeth got back to her quarters a little later than usual still yearning for a drink, not a drink-yourself-senseless drink more like a comfort drink. She had tossed the man she loved out of her life for the adventure of a lifetime and had expected him to remain faithful even though they both knew she might not come back, was it fair to expect that of him? She'd offered him the chance to join in her adventure but he'd refused to leave his new lover behind they way she'd left him, she'd been angry, hurt and disappointed when he'd told her all about Miranda, had he felt the same when she'd left him the video message to say she was leaving to explore another galaxy? She'd never given his feelings a second thought. Now it seemed that Simon was getting his own back, he'd sent her that invitation knowing that she'd refuse so he could look big in front of Miranda and her parents. She ran her hands through her hair and groaned, thinking about it she had behaved worse that he had. She changed into the vest and shorts she used as pyjamas and settled on her couch with a cup of coffee and a book. Her doorbell chimed

"Come in" she said in surprise, she wasn't expecting anyone to visit her after the way she'd behaved today. The door slid open and there stood Radek,

"Are you feeling ok now?" he asked

"I'm better than I was" she replied. He stepped through the door

"I thought you might like to share this with me," he said producing a bottle from behind his back. Her jaw dropped

"Why didn't you give that to me last night?" she demanded, Radek picked up two glasses and came and sat beside her

"Because the mood you were in you would have drunk the whole bottle and done something extremely foolish, you know Kavanaugh's just waiting for something like that to happen," he said simply. Elizabeth sighed knowing he was right

"I hate you sometimes," she said with a smile, he handed her a glass of Schnapps

"Really? Why is that" he said

"For doing the right thing, protecting me from myself, stopping me making a fool of myself" she curled up next to him and laid her head on his shoulder "for being my friend through thick and thin, take your pick" she replied. Radek put his arm around her

"If you hate me for being your friend, what will you do if I really upset you?" he asked, Elizabeth punched him lightly on the shoulder

"You know what I mean," she said. She slipped her arms around him and squeezed "Simon's getting married and he's asked me to the wedding"

"Ah" he replied as he gently stroked her hair

"I know why he's done it he always was kinda childish, he's saying 'Look what you threw away, this could have been you'" she said as she took another sip of her drink.

"Would you swap Atlantis to be Simon's wife?" Radek asked

"No I wouldn't, not for one moment," she said without hesitation

"So what's the problem?" he asked. Elizabeth sighed

"And that's the sixty four thousand dollar question isn't it and the answer is I've no idea, I treated him very badly when I left I said goodbye to him in a video message, he had no idea if I was ever coming back and then I expected him to pack up everything and follow me to another galaxy. I shouldn't have been surprised that he got on with his life without me, I guess the wedding invitation made me face the fact he has" she replied, Radek held her tighter and kissed the top of her head.

"You should accept the invitation" he said, Elizabeth sat up and looked at him

"You're kidding, sit there in the church like a spectre at the feast?" she said.

"Yes, he sent you that invitation because he wants one of two things to happen, he wants you to turn it down so then he can say 'I've tried to make peace with her, show there is no hard feelings and this is what she does'. On the other hand, he may want you to turn up and cause trouble so he can say 'I am so glad I didn't marry her'. If you go to the wedding, wish them happiness and be the perfect guest then they will be the foolish ones" he replied, Elizabeth smiled

"You're right, as usual" she said "I will accept the invitation and then he will be out of my life forever and I can start again," she said. With you if you'll have me, she added silently.


End file.
